Dr. Lara El Khatib

Lara El Khatib, Ph.D., has worked with children with disabilities and their families for many years. She is firmly committed to the inclusion of children with disabilities into the regular classroom and firmly believes that inclusion is beneficial for everyone and that it is the future of education. 

Lara has a Master’s degree in Early Intervention, from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Disabilities from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lara is also the recipient of the 2018 Middle East Professional Learning Initiative fellowship, from the Graduate School of Education, at Harvard University. She continues to collaborate with MEPLI, and in her new role as a convener, she has written several articles on trauma and trauma informed practice, and also on Universal Design for Learning. She has also facilitated several interactive webinars, for teachers in the MENA region. 

Currently, Lara is a part-time instructor at the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University. She also facilitates workshops on inclusion, trauma and the trauma sensitive classroom, and Universal Design for Learning. These are offered through AUB and LAU, and also in collaboration with several NGOs.